Recently, Northrop Grumman Corporation released official photos of the XRQ-73 stealth drone for the first time, indicating that it has completed the design and manufacturing work of the drone test aircraft. The XRQ-73 is the result of the US Department of Defense's "Series Hybrid Propulsion Aircraft Demonstration and Verification" (SHEPARD) project, jointly promoted by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Northrop Grumman, aimed at developing rapidly deployable military long endurance unmanned aerial vehicles using hybrid technology. From the released photos, the XRQ-73 adopts a tailless wing layout, similar to the US Air Force RQ-170 Sentry. There are two large air intakes located on either side of the central fairing at the top of the fuselage. In addition, in a previously released rendering, it can be seen that there is a large fairing below the center of the XRQ-73's body, which can be equipped with various payloads such as optoelectronics and radar inside. According to data from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the XRQ-73 weighs approximately 567 kilograms, flies at altitudes between 1000 and 5500 meters, and has a speed between 185 and 463 kilometers per hour. From the abbreviation of its name, XRQ-73 is mainly used for executing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. This type of aircraft adopts a hybrid propulsion system, with a stealth coating on the exterior of the body. The infrared, acoustic, electro-optical, and radar signal characteristics are weak, and the battlefield survivability is strong. In addition, unlike the hybrid design used in civil aircraft, this aircraft only uses fuel engines to provide power during takeoff and landing. When approaching enemy areas, the fuel engines are turned off and the battery pack continues to provide power, allowing the aircraft to transition to low-noise flight. In theory, the hybrid design of XRQ-73 will provide the US military with greater tactical advantage and operational flexibility. This type of aircraft is capable of carrying out missions in a medium level threat environment and is particularly suitable for conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities over disputed areas for extended periods of time. Furthermore, considering that this type of aircraft may carry different payloads into the mission area, the possibility of executing other tasks cannot be ruled out. Analysis suggests that the XRQ-73, as the first military unmanned aerial vehicle to adopt hybrid propulsion, marks another development of the US military in the field of defense aviation technology. According to the plan, the aircraft will make its maiden flight before the end of this year. The US military believes that with the maiden flight of XRQ-73, the SHEPARD project will pave the way for the widespread application of hybrid technology in the defense field. However, it is still unclear to what extent the hybrid power unit and turbofan propulsion technology used in this type of aircraft will reduce its detectability, which also makes its stealth and intelligence gathering capabilities on the battlefield need to be verified. (New Society)